The subject invention relates to a machine for proportioning bulk products for containerization and, more particularly, to a fill hopper utilizing a screw feeder or supplying bulk food products to the inlet of a proportioning machine.
Vacuum proportioning machines for filling, packaging, or stuffing bulk food products into containers for casings are well known in the industry. Such machines may be used to process a wide range of processed foods, such as processed cheese, grated cheese, ground meat, and the like. Proportioning machines typically have an upper vertically oriented inlet to feed the material to be packaged into a device which meters the product into precise proportions for packaging. In one type of proportioning device, the metering apparatus is a rotary vane pump. Uniform feeding of product through the system is enhanced by applying a vacuum to the flow.
The bulk food product is typically fed to the machine inlet from a feed hopper mounted above the machine and utilizing gravity flow, assisted by the applied vacuum, to provide a continuous supply of food product to the proportioning machine. It has been found, however, that certain types of food products, such as heavy viscous process cheese or loose open material such as grated cheese do not feed well. Such products may be susceptible to bridging at the bottom of the hopper near the machine inlet, resulting in an interruption in uniform flow. Attempts have been made to remedy these problems by providing the feed hopper with a vertically oriented auger or feed screw which is operated to keep the bulk food product moving downwardly to the bottom of the hopper and toward the proportioning machine inlet. However, such vertical auger devices have not successfully overcome the problems and, furthermore, the orientation of a vertical auger directly over and extending into the feed hopper does not comply with food processing standards and regulations.
In addition, many bulk food products must not be subjected to any significant agitation in order to prevent degradation of the quality and/or the appearance. For example, prepared macaroni and cheese products must be handled gently when packaged with a proportioning machine.